Yarn lever control mechanism



2 Sheets-Sheet l E u s 2 m 1 R m T F 5 6 d 1 5 N T F 2 m 7 7 Z A I 1 M 9 N r%///////////////// /fi w/ v/ w 2 Ln u qw w .a i .H 1| 3 n a -H z 6 if. V 12%}? a v: 7 5 I Zhl II III II I r 0 4 5 22/4 m M j e r O O i..- 4 N I |+n n w 8 T 9 2 June 26, 1956 Filed Aug. 14, 1953 June 1956 E. ST. PIERRE ET AL YARN LEVER CONTROL MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 14, 1953 f/VYEZVZWEJ: EUG'E/YESZ'HEERE,

YARN LEVER CONTROL MECHANISM Eugene St. Pierre, Pawtucket, and Joseph Wawzouek, Cumberland, R. 1., assignors to Hemphill Company, Pawtucket, R. I., a corporation of Massachusetts Application August 14, 1953, Serial No. 374,367

Claims. (Cl. 66-138) This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in yarn lever controlling mechanisms. Its primary object is to increase the yarn changing capabilities of a circular, independent needle, knitting machine without altering appreciably its usual construction.

Usually, such a machine is provided with a horizontal striper which can control the operation of four yarn levers. Consequently, the horizontal striping is limited to four difierent yarn changes or colors. If, as is frequently the case, it is desired to stripe both the top and the leg of a sock with four colors each, the same yarns must be used in the leg as in the top because of the limitations imposed by the small number of yarn levers. Similarly, if different yarns are used in the leg than in the top but the striping of. the top is repeated in the leg, then only two yarn changes in each are possible. By this invention, the number of yarn changes is substantially increased without disturbing the usual striper setup.

For example, in a machine of the well-known Banner type having a striper normally limited to the making of four yarn changes, by this invention the changes can be doubled to eight and, possibly, even more if the requisite number of yarn levers can be provided. One form of the invention is shown in the drawing, of which Figure l is of a general elevation, partly in section, of the yarn lever control mechanism and, also, of a nited States Patent O recommended type of multiple yarn clamps, each operated by a yarn lever;

Figure 2 is a detail of a part of the yarn lever control mechanism; and

Figures 3 and 4 are illustrations of the mechanism through which the device is operated- In Figure 1, two yarn levers 1 and 2 are shown. These 7 are of the type which can be thin and yet have adequate strength so that nine levers can be contained within the space usually occupied by five and, of these, eight may be used for striping, if desired. Yarn levers 1 and 2 are pivoted at 3 and move into and out of operation in substantially the conventional way. Beneath the yarn levers 1 and 2 are operating rockers 4 and 5, respectively, so positioned that when the rear ends 6 and 7, respectively, are depressed, their front ends 8 and 9, respectively, will move the yarn levers out of action against the tension of springs such as 10 and 11, respectively, which, when permitted, will swing the yarn levers into yarn feeding position and hold them there. For example, in Figure l, yarn lever 1 is in yarn feeding position, whereas yarn lever 2 is idle as the result of the action of rocker 5, the end 7 of which has been pulled down.

The operation of rockers 4 and 5 is through the following mechanism. Adjacent the end 6 of rocker 4 is a laterally projected stud or boss 12 having an aperture through which a rod 13 can slide. The upper end of rod 13 terminates in a head 14 whereby the rod is supported by stud 12. Rod 13 also passes through another stud or boss 15 projecting laterally from a pivoted lever 7 down, rod 13 will be pulled down with it by means of .collar 17 and, as a result of this, rocker 4 will be operated to move yarn lever 1 from its yarn feeding to its idle position.

Similarly, rocker 5, which is associated with yarn lever 2, is provided with a laterally projecting stud 18 through which passes a rod 19 having a head 20 above stud 13. Rod 19 passes througha stud 21 similar to stud 15 and, below this, it carries an adjustable collar 22 similar to collar 17. Therefore, yarn lever 2 can also be moved from its yarn feeding to its idle position by swinging lever 16 downwardly. Thus, the two yarn levers and their operating mechanism as described, are arranged in pairs and, normally, would be moved to their yarn feeding and idle positions together.

Since it has been assumed that there are nine yarn levers in all, eight of which can be used for striping, and that the usual mechanism for controlling four yarn levers is retained to secure the greatest flexibility for striping and other purposes, each yarn lever should be independently operable. Means for doing this will now be described.

The end 7 of rocker 5 through which yarn lever 2 is operated is cam shaped, as will be seen in Figure 1. Immediately above it is a rock shaft 23 upon which is mounted a finger 24. Rock shaft 23 is turnable in a counter-clockwise direction to cause finger 24 to engage the cam surface of rocker 5. and this will depress end 7 of this rocker with the result that its other end will be raised and yarn lever 2 will be swung up into its idle position. This is true even though lever 16 is in its upswung position and is made possible by the sliding linkage represented by studs 18 and 21, and rod 19 and collar 22. Rod 19 simply slides through stud 21 so that yarn lever 2 can be manipulated by finger 24 without interference from lever 16. In this way, one of the pair of yarn levers shown in Figure 1 can be made idle when, normally, it would be operative.

Similarly, the end 6 of rocker 4 is cam shaped so that it may be depressed by clockwise rocking of finger 25. its connection to rocker 16 has already been described and its operation is similar to that described in relation to yarn lever 2. Thus, either one of yarn levers 1 or. 2 can be made inoperative by a finger and the full striping scope of the yarn levers obtained.

Additional fingers will, of course, be provided forthe othersix yarn levers which, as in the case of levers. 1 and 2, are arranged in pairs but made intermittently operable through linkage such as that shown in Fig. 2, and through additional fingers. In this way, if eight different stripes are desired, they are obtainable upon the machine which, without this invention, would be limited to four and, it four stripes are desired in the top of the stocking and also four in the leg of different yarns, this, too, can be obtained by this invention. In other words, based upon the above example, the striping capacity of the machine is doubledsomething which is greatly desired by the hosiery knitting industry.

A means for rocking rock shaft 23 to operate fingers such as 24 and 25 consists of a rod 26 pivotally connected to a crank 27 attached to rock shaft 23, and a similar rod 28 pivotally connected to another crank 29 which is also attached to rock shaft 23. The other ends of rods 26 and 28 are pivotally connected to one end of pivoted levers 30 and 31, respectively. The other end of lever 30 is pivotally connected to a rod 32 which, in turn, connects with a rocker 33, one end of which is adapted to be rocked by cams such as 34 on a drum 35. In similar manner, pivoted lever 30 is connected to a rod 36 which is connected to another rocker 37 which is rockable by another row of cams such as 38 on drum 35. By this means, rock shaft 23 and, consequently, fingers 24 and 25' can be moved into and out of operation upon rockers 4 and 5 respectively to control individually the operation of yarn levers 1 and 2.

Upon the assumption that eight yarn levers are available for striping or other use, the other six yarn levers not heretofore described in detail may be associated with mechanisms such as that described whereby they may be operated in pairs through levers like 16 and operating wires like 39 which connect to any suitable operating means such as a pattern drum. in addition, each lever of each of these pairs of yarn levers may be operated individually as above described in relation to yarn levers 1 and 2 by additional fingers like 24 and 25 on shaft 23 acting upon rockers similar to 4 and 5. This, of course, is onlyrone arrangement of many. Fingers 24 and 25' and additional similar fingers for the other levers may be so positioned and so related in timing to the rest of the mechanisms that a great variety of sequences of yarn lever operation is obtainable.

Associated with the mechanism already described is a series of yarn clamps, one to each yarn lever, which, when a yarn lever is moved out of action, will clamp the yarn and prevent overfeeding from the source. Each clamp is operated by its yarn lever. Only that associated with yarn lever 1 will be described.

This consists of a movable member 40 slidable in a slot in a base 41 which, in turn, is mounted upon a suitable part of the machine overlying the yarn levers. One end of the member 46 is provided with a felt or other resilient pad 42 and the other end 43 is connected to a lever 44 by means of a spring 45. Lever 44 is pivoted adiacent its center as at 46 and its lower end terminates in a fork 47 which envelops a pin 48 projecting from yarn lever i. The arrangement is such that lever 44 projects through slide 40 in such a way that, when yarn lever 1 is raised and the upper end of lever 44 is swung forward in consequence, slide 40 will also be moved forward through the pull of lever 44 upon spring 45 until pad 42 engages with a fixed abutment 49. Just inside of abutment 49 and beneath the slot in which slide 40 moves is a yarn eyelet 50 and, also, the upper end of abutment 49 is shaped so as to support in aligned eyelet 51. The yarn passes through these eyelets on the way to yarn lever 1 so that, when pad 42 is moved into resilient contact with abutment 49, the yarn will be clamped.

When yarn lever 1 is moved into its yarn feeding position, as shown in Fig. 1, the upper end of lever 44 will be moved away from abutment 49 and, in consequence, will carry slide 40 with it to separate pad 42 from abutment 49 and to release the yarn.

All of the other yarn levers, or as many as desired, may be associated with yarn clamping mechanisms identical to that described.

Although this invention has been described with particular reference to horizontal striping, it will be realized, of course, that it is essentially a yarn lever control which may be used for making yarn changes for any purpose for which it is adaptable.

We claim:

1. In or for a circular, independent needle, knitting machine a plurality of yarn feeding levers, a plurality of rockers for operating said levers, a plurality of first rocker operating members adapted to engage individual rockers and one or more second rocker operating members each coupled to two'or more rockers with separate slip coupling devices for each rocker, said coupling devices permitting the individual rocker with which they are associated to be moved by a first rocker operating member independently of other rockers and of the second operating member to which it is coupled.

2. The invention according to claim 1 and wherein said coupling devices comprise slidably mounted rods.

3. In a circular, independent needle, knitting machine, a plurality of yarn levers, a plurality of individual yarn binders operated by individual yarn levers, a plurality of individual rockers for operating individual yarn levers, a plurality of mechanical fingersmounted on a common shaft, said shaft being turnable and individual ones of said fingers being capable of engaging individual rockers as said shaft is turned, and one or more rocker operating levers slidably connected to pairs of said rockers so as to move said rockers in pairs and yet permit independent movement of an individual rocker of said pair by one of said fingers without moving said operating lever or the other rocker of said pair.

4. In a circular, independent needle, knitting machine a plurality of rocker members, a plurality of rocker operating levers, means for connecting a single rocker operating lever to at least two rocker members, said means for connecting comprising a separate slip coupling for each of said rocker members, and means independent of said rocker operating levers for operating individual ones of said rocker members.

5. The invention according to claim 4 and wherein said slip couplings comprise rods slidably mounted in said rocker members and said rocker operating levers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

